Chris Bassitt is already back on the throwing path after a surgery that sounds unusual even by injury-report standards.
Bassitt, who landed on the Orioles’ 10-day injured list on June 5 because of back soreness, had a minor procedure last month to remove a bone spur from his lumbar spine area. He told the Baltimore Sun’s Jacob Calvin Meyer that he believes he is the first big league player to have that operation. The uncertainty that comes with a first-of-its-kind recovery hasn’t slowed his progress much so far: Bassitt said he is feeling much better, and he has already resumed throwing with a long-toss session on Friday and a couple of bullpens lined up for this week.
Baltimore shifted Bassitt to the 60-day IL yesterday, which makes August 4 the earliest date he can return to the rotation. That doesn’t mean he’ll be back exactly then, but a mid-August return looks possible if everything keeps moving in the right direction.
The Orioles have reason to hope. Bassitt’s first 56 1/3 innings in orange and black produced a 5.27 ERA, and the recurring back problem clearly held him back.
Now, with Baltimore riding a seven-game winning streak and sitting two games out of a wild card spot in the crowded American League, a healthy Bassitt could matter a lot more than he did a few weeks ago.
The Yankees got a mixed update on Carlos Rodon, though the overall picture still points toward a return in early-to-mid August. Aaron Boone told the New York Post’s Greg Joyce and other reporters that Rodon received a PRP shot along with other injections after a 10-pitch bullpen session on Friday.
Boone said the plan is for Rodon to throw a full bullpen before the week is over, so this isn’t being treated as a setback. Rodon hasn’t pitched since June 28 because of inflammation in his throwing elbow, and he’s believed to be working through a 4-to-6 week recovery window.
More will be known once he gets further along in his throwing progression, including whether a minor league rehab assignment will be needed.
Toronto also had two more injury notes, and neither was encouraging.
Max Scherzer got three cortisone injections in his right thumb last Monday, Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters, including MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, on Friday. Scherzer had seemed close to what might have been his final minor league rehab outing before activation, but Schneider called the situation “ a bit of a pause,” not a setback.
“ Everything else is feeling good - arm, ankle, back. We’re trying to knock out all of the stuff around it….then when we hit ‘go,’ he can go and not have these stalls in between.”
Scherzer has only managed 22 innings this season, and those have come with a 10.23 ERA, split between two trips to the injured list.
Anthony Santander’s situation looks even murkier. The Blue Jays shut him down for about a week after a cortisone shot in his left shoulder, adding another layer to a season already wrecked by shoulder trouble.
Toronto signed Santander to a five-year, $92.5MM deal in the 2024-25 offseason, but he has appeared in just 54 regular-season games in 2025 and none this season. He had labral surgery in February in hopes of fixing the issue, but now the calendar is deep into the projected 5-to-6 month recovery window, and there still isn’t any sign of when he might be able to get back on the field this year.
In Other News...
Orioles May Need A Different Plan For Gunnar Henderson
Gunnar Hendersons rough offensive stretch has become one of the Orioles more uncomfortable storylines, and it has pushed the conversation beyond simple patience. With fans growing restless and Henderson not producing like the lineup anchor Baltimore expected, the club is left weighing what to do with a player whose struggles are now hard to ignore.
Benching him is not a realistic answer for a team that does not have much infield depth, especially with Blaze Alexander injured, so the more practical discussion is about changing the look of the lineup. The upcoming series against the Red Sox could offer a natural window, since Boston is lined up to send three left-handed starters to the mound and Baltimore may decide this is the right time to ease some of the pressure on Henderson without taking him out of the picture entirely. [Read more 🡒]
Ike Irish Delivered A Huge Orioles Farm Day Amid More Tides Frustration
Ike Irish gave the Orioles system one of its loudest farm-day performances in recent memory, earning Orioles Hangout MiLB Player of the Day honors after a monster showing for the Keys. He filled up the box score with extra-base damage, run production and constant pressure on the bases, the kind of line that can turn a quiet development day into a headline for the whole organization.
Norfolk, meanwhile, was left searching for offense again in a 4-0 loss to Nashville, even with Trey Gibson turning in a solid start and the Tides getting home runs from Thomas Sosa and Brandon Butterworth. The shutout loss was another reminder that the upper levels still need more consistent production, especially with Nashville getting enough timely work from Victor Figueroa and Colin Tuft to keep the game out of reach. [Read more 🡒]